Due to Covid-19, many of us are now working from home. One the one hand this may bring less stress to our lives as we no longer have that bumpy bus journey, or an hour spent on a packed commuter train, cradling the first cup of morning coffee and wishing we were still in bed.
However, all change brings with it positives and negatives, and this is especially true when it comes to back pain and posture.
Office environments are usually geared to support us as we work. Usually this includes a desk assessment. This would, among other things, require an ergonomic chair – one thing that many homes do not have.
10 Top Tips
With this in mind you can follow these simple rules will help to alleviate and in some cases prevent the nagging aches you get at the end of the day.
- Use a chair that has good foundations, this usually means five leg supports.
- Set your chair at 90 degrees so that your back is upright and your legs are straight.
- Adjust the height of your chair so that your feet are level on the floor when your chair is set at 90 degrees. Use a footstool if necessary.
- The height of your chair should also mean your shoulders are dropped comfortably and your arms are bent.
- Bring your chair as close to your desk as is comfortable so that your arms are not outstretched.
- Make sure your wrists are not pushing down too hard onto the edge of the desk, as this will cause compression.
- Close your eyes while sitting upright and your head is level. Now open your eyes and your eyes should be focused on the top two thirds of the screen. Your head is heavy, so you do not want it looking down or upright too much.
- Make sure that your phone and any items you have on your desk are all within reach, so you do not have to stretch.
- Get up every half an hour and have a drink of water or walk around a bit, as sitting for too long will not help your circulation.
- Finally, no matter how expensive or amazing your chair is, if you slouch, the chair will not support you, so try and maintain an upright posture!
I hope that these tips help. Implementing these ten steps will set you up well to work from home. If you’re still experiencing discomfort or pain, pop in to see us for an assessment so we can help to improve your posture and overall well being.
